Organic Fusarium...

[sumdumguy]

University of Nebraska has posted report of testing done on root colonization and moisture relationship with Fusarium in Soybeans.

Where is all our research money going? This is a problem that could destroy our wheat growing industry, and possibly other crops. Is the government so enamoured by Monsanto and no-till that they are closing a blind eye.

[farmaholic]

Sumdum... replace the word government with producer and then you might be right. But I do agree with your comment as well, this isn't a new phenomenon, and its creeping west. Environmental/weather conditions have to right first but to have it lurking in the bushes waiting is the shits. It used to be a Manitoba problem well its here now.

[agchat]

Pourfarmer you are lucky you are not getting your head chewed off here with the glypho comment. I mentioned that here this summer and wow did i get jumped on by some. Trouble is when we know we need something to help us do what we are doing we defend it. Like a buddy of mine says when we discuss glypho " Warfarin is amazing too. But is it really good or bad?

[newguy]

Think fusarium likes old standing stubble and high rates of nitrogen..Both of which organic farmers do not have..

[BreadWinner]

Non organic here. This is the first year of detectable fuz 1-3%, this year we didn't spray fungicides but we have always treated the seed. Seems like it is slowly creeping west it was east of us till this year. I think the spores spread in the wind more than the experts think. I think this is the reason we have it now. We have good crop rotations and we grow three varieties. All three had the same level of fuz this year and 0 last year. Even one field has been forages for the last 10 years canola last year and wheat this year, it even had fusarium. Looks like were stuck spraying fungicide every year now.

[furrowtickler]

There is a definite link with herbicide injury and the whole fusarium complex - from root rot all the way to head blights . This was enhanced with a cool damp spring and humid summer. Adding crop nutrition at herbicide time may well be part of the key to reducing chem injury and protecting yeilds.
Good to hear low disease levels in organic wheat after a high humidity summer. To me it proves the above issue on herbicides and disease levels

[farmaholic]

Breadwinner, spraying never helped here this year, to much pressure.

[hobbyfrmr]

Farmaholic, I am encouraging farmer to do what ever they choose within the law in a free country. You want to spray ten times ....giver. You want to tandem disk ten times...giver.
Everyone is looking for a difference so they can spar. Us vs. them type stuff.
I would say to compare organic vs. conventional organic costs are near the conventional, but they are in a different designation. Ie. fuel, vs. Chem. or (labour)/time and clover seed vs. fert.
Then the end result is half a crop, twice the piece.
So I think net result, I am not doing any better than conventional farmers.
Using nibs HRSW example, 27 bu/acre x 18.00/bushel every second year due to plowdown, is the same as growing 54 bushel per acre wheat at 4.50 every year.
I don't regard organic farming as better, it's just different.

[hobbyfrmr]

My neighbours grow 60-90 bushel wheat, 40-60 canola, and 150 bu oats. So they are well ahead of organic.
The are feeding the world.

[furrowtickler]

newguy, yes, that is another piece to a complex puzzle. Zero till and heavy trash is the carrier, wetter weather and crop rotation set the stage but is not the cause. It is figuring out what is the trigger for enhanced disease levels and how to try to prevent it. The growing season here is far too short for crop recovery from injury and resulting negative yield effects. Crops injured by herbicides are 5 X more susceptible to a host of diseases - no different than a human with pneumonia in the slums.
I have not left check strips for years, but I sure as hell will now....
Sorry - kinda off topic but not